20 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [Sess. lxxvi. 



local importance and endeavouring in every way to secure 

 the application of science to practice. 



It is very satisfactory to know that steps are being 

 taken to provide more practical training for the university 

 and college student in order to promote the application of 

 science to practice. But. as I have already indicated, the 

 practical man should have better facilities for acquiring a 

 knowledge of the fundamental scientific principles upon 

 which his practice is based. With one or two notable 

 exceptions, it is not possible for the young gardener or 

 forester in training to attend systematic courses of instruc- 

 tion in the sciences underlying his future profession, unless 

 he happens to be fortunate enough to be employed in some 

 nursery or private garden in or near large towns. This 

 difficulty might be got over by providing bursaries to 

 enable such men to attend courses of instruction at suitable 

 institutions ; but to this method there is the very serious 

 objection that very few colleges are able to provide 

 practical training under proper supervision and control 

 along with scientific instruction ; however, there are indi- 

 cations that this unsatisfactory state of affairs will soon be 

 improved. 



The point is — it is of importance that these practical 

 men should not, when getting theoretical training, lose 

 touch with practice ; also, that for the practical work 

 which they perform during theoretical training they 

 should receive payment adequate as a subsistence allow- 

 ance. A scheme whereby this is achieved is that which 

 has been in operation in the Royal Botanic Garden, Edin- 

 burgh, during the past twenty years. Young gardeners 

 and foresters are taken on the staff and receive certain 

 payment for their services, and at the same time are 

 taught free of charge the scientific element of their work. 

 There is no place in this country where more has been 

 done to provide employment, combined with practical and 

 scientific training, for the young gardener and forester, 

 than at the Royal Botanic Garden, and we should feel 

 proud that Edinburgh has led the way in this important 

 development ; and experience has shown that the men so 

 trained have had no difficulty in obtaining the best appoint- 

 ments both at home and abroad. With such provision for 



